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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Antwan Floyd Sr. is a Publisher, Author, and Reviewer. He publishes Crime Fiction novels under his publishing company Maleah Solange Books. He has released two titles in the Black Love Detective Series: Piece Keeper & Cannibal in the City. He has also written Dope Fiction and Dope Fiction pt. 2 "Greed Between the Lines". Originally from Chicago, IL he currently resides in Indianapolis, IN where he is penning his next novel.

The Fictional Black
Detective in American Literature and Film

The fictional Black detective in American Literature and
film is an important topic as it pertains to representation of a group of
people and inclusion in this highly popular genre. I write this article
strictly from a fan’s point of view, I am by no means an expert on the topic. I
am in my learning stages and I suppose in a way I am taking you on my journey
of discovery with me.

According to an article that I read posted in the Los
Angeles Review of Books written by Gary Phillips one of the earliest books of
fiction about a black detective was published in 1932 and written by author Dr.
Rudolph Fisher titled The Conjure-Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark Harlem which features a Sherlock Holmes–like Dr.
John Archer and police detective Perry Dart — two black investigators out to
solve a murder mystery. Now it so happens that this is one of the titles that I
have read or should I say attempted to read. It was in my opinion very wordy and
drawn out I failed to complete the entire book, I will eventually get back to
it to finish the story but it is in my opinion a hard read.

Then there was
Hughes Allison. He is credited in 1948 as the first black writer to have a
story published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. The story was titled
“Corollary,” appeared in the July issue, and featured black police detective
Joe Hill based in part, on a real-life cop Carlton B. Norris, a Newark police
detective.

Persia Walker has written three mystery novels set during
the heyday of the Harlem Renaissance. Walker deftly mixes issues of race and
class, along with actual incidents and figures, in her handling of that period.

In Defender of the Angels: A Black Policeman in Old Los
Angeles by Jesse Kimbrough, the reader gets a glimpse of a city in the 1920s
and ’30s that is rarely depicted from a black point of view.

The Black 22s, produced by David Oyelowo (who will also
star), purchased by the National Geographic channel, and billed as a black
Untouchables about an all-black police squad in Prohibition-era St. Louis.

From new pulp publisher Pro Se Press, and also set in the
1920s, is Alvin Grimes’s 2014 hard-boiled novel, Black Pearl, about a World War
I vet Harlem Hell fighter called Jackson Blaze. Blaze gets mixed up in a gang
war between the Jewish Mafia and boss Jimmy Rose for control of the rackets in
Harlem.

Debuting in the late 1990s and spanning the Prohibition era
to the 1940s, the crime fiction novels of Robert Skinner feature Wesley
Farrell, a mixed-race nightclub owner who passes for white.

Another pulp publisher, Airship 27 brought out two books
featuring African Americans set in the 1930s. In Rutherford Jones in Trouble
Times Three, written by Robert Ricci and featuring three short stories, the
time is 1937 and the place is Oakland. A mousy white guy supposedly runs the
Ford Jones Detective Agency — but he’s a front to assuage white clients, and
his supposed black assistant Rufus is the real hard-case private investigator.

Just wanted to lay a sort of foundation as it may to the
introduction of the black detective in literature and in film, many of these
authors and titles I’ve never heard of but I will go back and begin reading
them to see how they tackled the genre.

Getting to some that I have heard of, I will start with
Walter Mosley and his Easy Rawlin’s character which one of his titles was
converted into a movie “The Devil in a Blue Dress” where Denzel Washington
played the starring role of Easy Rawlin’s I saw the movie but never read the
book or any other of the Easy Rawlins’ stories. But I did read all of the
stories in the Leonid McGill series written by Walter Mosley which wasn’t as
widely received as the Easy stories but I thoroughly enjoyed them and hope that
he writes and releases more. Currently he has released a new title called “Down the River unto the Sea” a new
detective tale:

Joe King Oliver was one of the NYPD's finest investigators,
until, dispatched to arrest a well-heeled car thief, he is framed for assault
by his enemies within the NYPD, a charge which lands him in solitary at Rikers
Island.

A decade later, King is a private detective, running his
agency with the help of his teenage daughter, Aja-Denise. Broken by the
brutality he suffered and committed in equal measure while behind bars, his
work and his daughter are the only light in his solitary life. When he receives
a card in the mail from the woman who admits she was paid to frame him those
years ago, King realizes that he has no choice but to take his own case:
figuring out who on the force wanted him disposed of--and why.

Running in parallel with King's own quest for justice is the
case of a Black radical journalist accused of killing two on-duty police
officers who had been abusing their badges to traffic in drugs and women within
the city's poorest neighborhoods.

Joined by Melquarth Frost, a brilliant sociopath, our hero
must beat dirty cops and dirtier bankers, craven lawyers, and above all keep
his daughter far from the underworld in which he works. All the while, two
lives hang in the balance: King's client's, and King's own. I have yet to read
it, but it is on my reading list.

Brian W. Smith is another author in the genre that I’ve read
he has a mystery series titled: The
Sleepy Carter Mysteries: He is
homeless. He is a genius. He's solving the toughest murder cases in the city of
New Orleans. But only one person knows he's alive.

Another author that writes in the genre I really enjoyed is
author Niles Manning he has written two titles in the series called The Grainger Files.

There are others scattered here and there acclaimed actor Blair
Underwood and Tananarive Due co-authored several mystery titles in the Tennyson Hardwick series. Valerie Wilson
Wesley, Nora De Loach, and I’ve even come across a title written by former NBA
legend Kareem Abdul Jabaar titled: Mycroft
Holmes which I found interesting and I’m not sure if it has ever been done
or not so don’t quote me. But as far as my understanding goes for those that
are familiar with the Sherlock Holmes mythos Mycroft Holmes is the older
brother to famed fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and Jabaar wrote his story
with Mycroft as the antagonist sleuth.

I suppose that Mycroft Homes deviates from the black
detective character in fiction but I mention this title for two reasons. One:
Kareem Abdual Jabaar is a black author. Two: It is a sedge way into the final
author and title series I am going to speak on titled: Watson and Holmes which was released as a comic written by Karl
Bollers and Rick Leonardi. I think that their series is interesting because
they took these two classic characters updated them to today’s time and made
them Black: Collecting the entire first arc of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson re-envisioning as African Americans living
in New York City's famous Harlem district. Watson, an Afghanistan war vet,
works in an inner-city clinic; Holmes, a local P.I. who takes unusual cases.
When one of them ends up in Watson's emergency room, the unlikely duo strike up
a partnership to find a missing girl. Watson & Holmes bump heads along the
way as they enter a labyrinth of drugs, guns, gangs and a conspiracy that goes
higher and deeper than they could have imagined.

Moving on to the black detective in film, the earliest that
I remember seeing on film was Richard Roundtree in the title role of Shaft. I
didn’t mention this earlier in my literary black detectives because although
the hero in this tale was a black man, the story (and later the movie from
which the movie was adapted) was written by a white man, a classic all the
same. Shaft spawned a few spin-offs all played by Richard Roundtree.

Decades later a re-boot of the Shaft movie was done and
portraying the Black private dick with all the chicks, was Samuel Jackson, the
nephew of the original Shaft in which Richard Roundtree reprised his role.

Now, decades after that I’ve read an article that it is once
again getting another re-boot via Netflix both Richard Roundtree and Samuel
Jackson will reprise their roles, this time they will be joined with Jessie T.
Usher as Samuel Jackson’s son (also John Shaft) looks like a film to be on the
lookout for.

Others are A Man
Called Hawk a television spin-off from the show Spencer For Hire. In the
show A Man Called Hawk Avery Brooks played the titular role.

More recently there was Rosewood
starring Morris Chestnut in the role of Miami pathologist Dr. Beaumont
Rosewood, Jr. He finds secrets in people's bodies using his state-of-the-art
laboratory equipment.

As a sidebar I will mention the BBC detective series Luther
starring Black British actor Idris Elba, which was also very well written and
portrayed on screen.

Without going on and on these are a few examples of the diverse
stories and the authors and actors of color who portrayed these sleuths in all
faucets of life. It shows that the black detective be it in written word or
portrayed in television or on film have a diverse, rich, and often times
complex range and unique ability of getting the job done and shows that
inclusion is not only necessary for the genre to grow and become more but is
craved and desired by readers and purveyors of everything mystery/crime
fiction.

Teresa Prince, a small town girl with a big heart, had dreams of working in law enforcement her goals put on pause in the worse way possible. Will she overcome this tragedy and emerge triumphant with her mind and soul intact? Or will the mental anguish be too much for her to bare?

James, a twisted soul with ideas of love and grandeur with a woman that doesn’t feel the same for him, at least not yet. That will all change if he has anything to do with it. Also, her old flame has stepped into the picture. Will James be able to win her over and make her the love of his life before the flame is rekindled between her and her ex? Or will he be left in the cold while they live happily-ever-after?

Black Love was always a white collar kind of guy more so than a gangster when an unfortunate incident occurs in a small town in Illinois he rushes to the side of his ex-fiancé to attempt to save the day. It does not take long to figure out that not everyone wants to see justice served. On top of that, his feelings for his past love may not only cause conflicts in the case but also add a rift to his new relationship. Will Black put his past behind him and find out who violated Teresa?

In this fast-paced tale of pain, misguided passion, and lost love we follow these three souls as they embark on a journey of romance, rape, and retribution. When there’s no one to count on but yourself will you stand and deliver? Or bend and break? Each will face that question in the midst of what they once thought was true. They all find out that when love turns to war, someone has to be the Piece Keeper!

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Rajat Pillai’s ‘Yoddha — The Dynasty of Samudragupta’ is a valuable contribution to
the evaluation of our knowledge about one of the greatest rulers to have ruled
the Indian soil. It is a briskly written, lively and accomplished account of
history that readers will be able to sink their teeth into.

We all
know that history has been told and retold by generations and that not
everything that is publicized in the name of history should be believed. The
only truth about history is that it is written by winners to meet their own
ends.

As
such, what little we know about Samudragupta and his vast achievements are from
the inscriptions and retellings of accounts from his life scattered throughout the
Indian subcontinent. Even with all the difficulties involved in uncovering the
historical reality, Pillai has nevertheless proved through his writings that
one can, with reasonable certainty, say quite a lot that is true about these
lost legends. He, however, also adds that in his present historical fiction, he
has taken poetic liberty to justify a lot of incidents that he mentions in his
book.

Not
only do we get to read about Samudragupta, Chandragupta Vikramaditya too finds
equal importance in Pillai’s version of one of the most illustrious clans in
Indian history. As the story open, we realize that the much-loved king, Samudragupta,
did not get along well with his extended family, who wanted to see him dead. He
becomes so terrified about the safety of his children that he sends both his
sons away from the grandiose of the palace life to be brought up in a natural
environment. Things however do not go as planned and both his sons came back
only to be caught up in a vicious web. Young Chandra has to wage a battle not
only for his identity but also for his sanity. The story ends with Chandra
taking up the reigns of the Gupta dynasty and keeping a watchful eye on his
enemies lurking everywhere.

Constructing
the life of a legend from scraps can be challenging and yet Pillai has done a
decent job. His characters take on a dynamic persona as they interact with each
other, make schemes, and bid their time through a maze of lies, deceit, hidden
truth, and jealousy. The way the story flows is appreciable. Pillai’s mastery
over his language is substantiated by the fact that reading his book is
effortless. The story has been written in a way to encompass the various
stories of the Gupta period in an interesting manner.

Highly
readable, Pillai’s Yoddha will be of interest to history buffs and thrill
seekers alike.

Rajat
Pillai is a graduate from IMI Delhi. He is the author of two previous novels –
Chandragupta: Path of a Fallen Demi-God and The Dead Woman Writing.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Steel is the Road Captain for the Dark Wings Motorcycle Club. Few dare to challenge this fearsome alpha. Those who do, regret it. He dominates everything in his life, including women. After all, women are for sex and nothing more.

By night, Fiona is an impressive guitarist in a local rock band. By day, she is a dominatrix. Music, her submissives, and her motorcycle have always been enough. The last thing she needs is a steady man in her life.

When these two dominants meet, an erotic, volatile test of strength and wills erupts. Will they destroy each other with their need to control, or can their dynamic work somehow? There’s only one way to find out!

Warning: For those 18 and over only. This short story is an explicit, dark, twisted romance with sex acts in almost every chapter. There are things some consider kinky, including BDSM, MFM, FF and punishment. May not be suitable for all readers.

Bella Jeanisse lives for rock music. Addicted to concerts, Avenged Sevenfold, fictional rockers, and blasting music in the car, she can’t get enough. After her father turned her on to Queen, there was no going back. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Playing guitar became a pastime, which didn’t turn into a career… until she started to pen her fantasies and publish them.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York City, she grew up with access to clubs like L’Amour and CBGBs, hung out in Greenwich Village, as well as had plenty of friends in bands. No wonder rockers stayed on her mind. Bringing her ideas to life was a long time coming.

She is now living near Tampa, FL with 3 kids and 2 grandkids, as a single mom. Her family supports her writing even when it seems to take up more time than they feel is necessary. Can’t stop the muse, ya know!

Besides erotic rock star romances, Bella also writes about wild bikers, hot college men and more.

5 STARS “A great rock star romance. I really enjoyed it. it was so hot and sweet. I loved it” ~ Marbog

5 STARS “A really great, entertaining story.” ~ Karen Galloway

Brit rockers hit the US for the Get Rocked! In Vegas Festival

Sam MacAvoy’s a British rocker who has charted consistently at number one all over Europe since following in his brother, Julian’s footsteps. Now Sam’s been invited to Vegas to debut at the Get Rocked! In Vegas Festival and he’s brought his red hot band, Style Strike with him.

Ashley Jacobs can’t stand musicians, or over-the-top egotistical men. Somehow she finds herself in amongst dozens of them when she agrees—against her better judgment—to take a three day summer job at the Festival.

Paul Gray, Style Strike’s bass player and the star of his own social media channel, has women falling at his feet. What he can’t quite understand is why his charm isn’t working on the attractive and curvaceous, Ashley. She’s not interested in his social media stardom, nor does she care that he could have any woman he wants at the rock festival.

All Ashley Jacobs wants to do is forget about the Get Rocked! In Vegas Festival and get on with her life. Unfortunately, the one night she spent in the arms of

British band, Style Strike’s bad boy bass player, Paul Gray makes that simple wish impossible. She’s brought home more than memories. What should have been a fun fling before she settled into her orderly life has gone awry. To her horror, Ashley’s entire life is turned upside down when she discovers that she’s pregnant. She’s literally about to be left holding the baby.

Paul Gray’s never forgotten that night in Vegas with the woman who wanted nothing to do with a rock star. Style Strike’s US tour has gone from strength to strength and his social media star is on the rise. Paul finds himself surrounded by everything he's worked so hard to achieve. His life is awash with women, fame and fortune—but all he can think about is the sensual woman who walked away from him that night in Vegas.

Knowing the tour's about to hit her hometown, Ashley makes the sensible decision to contact Paul. He needs to be told about the baby, doesn’t he?

Toni Kenyon lives in Auckland (New Zealand) with her husband (and their dog and cat) the goldfish is just squatting! She writes romance by day, sings in a band by night and in her spare (yeah, right) time she wrangles difficult heroes into line, so they can star in her next novel. Toni also loves the garden and has a special place in her heart for her fruit trees and her veggie patch. A keen amateur photographer, Toni posts “Mood of the Suburbs” shots across most of her social media profiles. She loves to hear from like-minded people, so pop on over and say 'Hi' any time.

Visit her website and sign up for her newsletter so you can stay informed about her new releases.

Friday, March 23, 2018

The flame within a dragon warrior's heart awakens Arianna's passion as she begins a journey in which she will discover she's something more than she ever imagined possible.

The realm of the dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they've been at war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true heritage.

ClayneMacDagon is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the Forsaken. Although he's told that this woman is his fated mate, he can't believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved twin's death.

When Arianna meets Clayne, she's convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he's a warlock or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with him.

Clayne knows he can't fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what he's been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate.

Convincing her to accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war.

Kissing her forehead, he took her hand in his. His lips were cool, but the heat off his body was intense. The contrast made her tremble. Clayne placed her hand over the bulge in his breeches. Arianna cupped him, rubbing him with her palm.

“Oh, feels good. Do you feel how I want you?” Nuzzling her neck, an animalistic sound escaped from him. His voice roughened. “I want you to ride my cock.” Kissing her face, his tenderness made her heart flutter. Faint, dazed, she yearned for him. “You make me burn, my beautiful mate. My dragon’s heat boils within me.”

“I love how it rushes through me too.”

“It soothes me, stimulates me, and makes me want to fuck you more. I can’t get enough of you.” His words caused a volcano of desire to erupt inside her. “Let’s take your clothes off so I can feel your skin against mine.” Clayne pushed her hair behind her back. Gently, he placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her to him. He kissed her face and neck. Arianna pressed herself against him, encouraging his touch.

“Clayne,” Arianna said between his kisses. “I want you between my legs.” Wetness escaped her pussy and dampened her thighs. Emboldened by the press of his erect cock against her, she said, “I want you inside me.” She rubbed her hands up and down his back. He was strong, muscular, an exceptional specimen of masculinity. “I love being with you.”

“You smell perfect. Like a woman who’s eager for me.” Inhaling deeply, he turned her around and began to undo her dress’s buttons. “I need to get you out of this gown. I’m impatient to give what you ask of me.” He nipped the back of her neck. Juices flowed to her pussy.

“Oh sweet lord, you bite.” A shiver of desire raced down her spine, pooling in her womb.

“Nah, I just tease. But I do have fangs.” He flashed a suddenly fanged mouth. “I can look like a vampire, but they’re my dragon teeth. We have sharp ones too.” His large hands cupped her breasts. They were heavy, aching with need. When he squeezed them, she moaned, leaning back against him.

“Take me, Clayne.”

“I’m going to rip this gown off. I need you naked.”

A loud ripping sound followed his words. Tiny seed buttons bounced on the floor as the gown fell to her feet. A thin chemise still covered her. Clayne picked her up, and then her back hit the soft mattress as she bounced on the bed. Standing naked by the side of the bed, he watched her. His penis jutted from his body.

“Arianna, take your undergarment off,” he ordered. “I need you free of all clothing. I want nothing between us, and I want to be inside you.”

Sitting up, she quickly removed her chemise, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the floor. Her heart beat fast and hard. Dazed with the rush of desire his words inspired, she spread her legs in bold invitation. She swung her hair back over her shoulder and rose up on her elbows, beckoning him.

Standing before her with his cock in his hand, he rubbed its firmness. It was swollen and long. The tip was darker, redder than the rest of the firm organ. She was thinking he was gorgeous.

“Beautiful.” He echoed her thoughts. “You’re the most beautiful female I know.”

Clayne stole her thoughts right from her brain. Their unique communication continued to amaze her. In an instant, he was upon her. Pushing her thighs further apart, he settled between them. His cock rested against her leg. She kissed him, closing her eyes as she absorbed the exquisite sensations. The heat and ecstasy of his kisses made her surrender completely to him. She reached for his cock, rubbing it with her hand. It fascinated her. The feel of the smooth skin stretched over the incredible hardness excited her further.

“It’s so large and firm. I like the feel of it inside me.” More moisture escaped her, dampening her inner thighs. “I like what we do.”

With a quick thrust, he was inside her, deep until she swallowed up his entire length.

“Arianna, you like that?”

“Yes.” She opened her eyes to stare into his shiny blue ones, bright as diamonds. His stare was hot. It penetrated her, warming her insides even more than the heat she was already experiencing.

Continuing to watch her with intensity, he moved within her. He closed his eyes, and his face relaxed as if he were experiencing pure joy. Arianna wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She ran her hands over his firm buttocks as he worked in and out of her. The man made her feel dainty under his massive body. She liked that feeling as well.

“You’re nice and tight.” Clayne rested fully against her as he pushed inside her tight pussy. Skillfully, he pulled out and pushed in again. The gratifying friction against her clit made her squeeze his cock, release, and squeeze him again. He moaned. “You like how I’m fucking you, my beautiful mate?”

“Yes.” Arianna could barely answer him.

Clayne pounded harder into her, and then stopped, partially withdrawn from her. Kissing her sensitive nipples, he laved them with his tongue. He made love to her breasts with his mouth. Pulling his cock fully from her body, he turned her onto her stomach.

Arianna whimpered. “Clayne, I want you to…”

“To what?” He pulled her to the edge of the bed until her feet touched the floor. He pushed his cock into her wet pussy. Standing behind her, he pounded with great efficiency. With each push into her, the enormous bed moved across the floor. “You feel so good.” Resting, he lay against her, fondling her breasts with one hand and rubbing her clit with the other as he pounded into her. “I love fucking you. I’m pleased I’ve found you.”

“Yes, my mate. You’re fucking good.” His body shivered as he fully rested against her. For a few moments, he was completely still. “Mate, you make me burn. The passion I feel races hot.”

“Clayne…” Before she could say more, he grabbed her under her arms, pulling her to the head of the bed. Moving the bedding out of their way, he positioned her under the covers, following her beneath.

“Let’s rest, my mate. We’ve had a very long, intense day.” Curling her into him, he held her in his arms. The great heat he’d generated had waned, yet his arms were still comfortably warm.

More questions for him danced through her head. Her mind was fully charged with activity, thinking over every detail he’d shared with her. However, exhaustion took over, quieting her. The bed was comfortable. It smelled of lilacs, soothing her further. The mattress cushioned her body softly along with his warm embrace. She decided to close her eyes, only for a few moments. Darkness enveloped her. Involuntarily, sleep overtook her.

About the Author:

Welcome to Ciara Lake's World. Meet Gorgeous Werewolves, Vampires, Dragons, Mermaids, Wizards, Witches, Mythological Gods and Goddesses, Mere Mortals And More! Fiction has always been a passion of mine. Creating worlds and developing characters is a great way for me to relieve the stress and strain of my everyday world. In fantasy (paranormal) and sci-fi stories, the author has the unique ability to invent wonderfully exotic places and people. I do that in my books. These fantastic genres provide a limitless ability to be creative and inventive. My stories provide an escape into a special world filled with unique and otherworldly things. And there is always a happy ending.

Dhruba Das Roy is a freelance writer, a musician by passion, and a software engineer by profession. He is from Assam, but born in a small town of Meghalaya, where he finished his schooling. He then obtained his degree in engineering from the esteemed college of National Institute of Technology. He discovered his love for music there and was the lead vocalist of his band, “The Rozarts.”

He loves rock and roll and is a great fan of the pioneers of rock and roll-(Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and the list goes on).Unfortunately, as engineering life came to an end, the band had to split. Recently, he moved to Kolkata where he is working in one of leading software service based companies in India.

Not everyone can put their thoughts into words. Dhruba had never tried his hand in writing; but he had an experience, an experience which changed his life for the better. Being a vocalist, his only way of expression was through the creative way. He decided to pen down his thoughts and he discovered that writing came naturally to him. His thought process in the novel relates to the general mass in many ways. He decided to stretch his limits and ended up voicing his thoughts in a different way this time.

When did you first
realize that you wanted to be a writer/ a storyteller?

If I told you that I always wanted to be a writer, it would
a big lie. In fact, I never even liked literature. But that’s how it is, people
change and that’s what life is all about.

I am actually not very good at expressing myself when I am
around people. I had experiences and these motivated to write as I found
writing to be the best way to communicate. Then when I started writing, I felt
there was a lot of things that I can write about which might have many similarities
with our lives and that was it, I decided to be a writer and here I am…. my
debut novel, ‘My First Breakup.’

What question do you
wish that someone would ask about your book(s), but nobody has? Write it out
here, and then answer it.

The book has a lot of songs mentioned in it of numerous Rock
N’ Roll musical bands, so which one among them is my favourite song and why?

(It feels a little funny to answer to my own question)

The answer to that would be November Rain by Guns N’ Roses.
I love that song for what it is, the music is legendary and the lyric of the
song is fascinating. Undoubtedly one of the best compositions of all time.

What is your writing
process? Do you follow a regular routine or do you have any weird, funny, or
unusual habits while writing and what are they?

Currently being a part time writer, I have to manage time. I
work as a software engineer during the day time and write stories during the
nights. Yes, it becomes quite hectic at times, but writing provides me a
quality time where I can escape to a different world and relax for a moment.

Do you ever suffer
from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Yes, a lot of times. I take the day off. I listen to music,
perhaps watch a movie or read a book. I feel tomorrow’s a new day and the idea
is out there looking for me as desperately as I am searching for it. It’s just
that I just have to recognise it.

What are your
current/future projects?

I am working on two projects presently. The sequel to My
First Breakup and another one is a mythological fiction which is based on
Greek, Christian and Hindu History. So, hopefully either one or if God permits,
perhaps both of them.

What is the intended
audience for you book?

As the title itself signifies ‘My First Breakup’, It is for
young adults. Most of us go through it and I believe any ‘First’ experience is
always special, be it breakup or a
relationship. This novel of mine will have a sequel and that too will be based
on a ‘First’ experience. I would infact call this ‘The First’ Series.

If you had the chance
to get one message out there to reach readers all over the world, what would
that message be?

The novel is set to be released on 9th of March 2018. Please
wish me luck and if you like to read fiction, please do read “My First
Breakup……. Learning to Let Go!!!”. Also do review it as it’s your reviews that
will help me become a better writer.

What makes a good
story, why?

There are many things that contributes to a successful
story, but for me the most important ingredients are being simple, genuine and
pure that can connect with the readers irrespective of the demographic
diversities.

Do you read your
reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to
deal with the bad?

Yes, reviews matter to me a lot. In the end of the day I
want to be get better and reviews are essential part of that evolutionary phase
in a writer’s life.

I generally do
respond to both bad and good reviews that I receive.

I always am thankful for the people who reviewed my story.
This gave me a chance to interact with you. The reviewer might have given me a
bad review and I appreciate it. I prefer to take that, work on it and hopefully
next time around he or she will appreciate my hard work. I fell that’s how
respect can be truly earned.

Were your characters
based off real life people/events or did you make it all up?

Most of them were. I feel, for a story to come true we need
real life inspiration. These are perhaps food for a story. My friends and
family provides me with this inspiration and I am really thankful to them.

What is your favorite
scene in the book? Why?

Being the writer of the novel, it’s really difficult for me
to just pick out one particular scene from the novel. All of the scenes are
dear to me, but if you still insist, it has to be the ‘letter from Anvi to
Anirudh’. I remember my Elder Sister calling me up and saying that the letter
was really hard hitting which gave her goose bumps.

Oh well!! I don’t know, perhaps she was just trying to be
modest and make her little brother feel better about his work :P :P

“Oh God, why me?”

This is perhaps what we think of when we
go through a ‘breakup’.

This story is about Anirudh and Anvi.

Both of them have their own thinking
which are not alike.

The story begins with Anirudh meeting
with and accident. As he slowly succumbs to the pain, he starts reflecting
about his bygone college days where he found his love for music. He loves Anvi
dearly who is a long-lost friend of Anirudh.

The story reveals how Anirudh struggles
as the hands of reality strikes him down.